Since taking charge of Arsenal back in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has done an awful lot to bring the club back to the top.
One of the areas he has had the most influence over has been transfers, and while he has overseen some poor signings, he’s overseen just as many, if not more, brilliant ones.
The likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, David Raya and Gabriel Magehelese have all joined the club under the Spaniard’s tutelage and are now some of the first names on the teamsheet today.
However, arguably one of the most crucial cogs in the Arsenal machine and one of the best defenders in the world, William Saliba, was signed by Unai Emery, although if recent reports are to be believed, Arteta might be about to welcome in someone who could be the next version of the incredible Frenchman.
Arsenal's search for young talent
Arsenal might be on the hunt for their first Premier League title in two decades next season, but that hasn’t stopped the club from looking for more talented youngsters in recent weeks and months.
Transfer Focus
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For example, just a few weeks ago, the club was linked with a £38m move for Greek wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas, who is just 17 years old and managed to produce seven goal involvements in 39 games for Genk this season.
After that, reports began appearing linking the club with a £85m move for Juventus gem Kenan Yıldız, who only turned 20 last month but has been able to score 12 goals and provide eight assists in 50 games this season.
However, while both prospects are incredibly exciting and look set for bright careers, it would be hard to describe either one as being the next Saliba, unlike Jorrel Hato.
Yes, according to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal have maintained their intense interest in the Ajax star.
In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners are now ‘accelerating their move’ for the Dutchman and that ‘talks are scheduled for this week’ with the player’s camp.
In terms of the price of a potential deal, the report claims that the youngster is valued at around €50m, which comes out to about £43m.
It might sound like a lot of money for a young defender, but with how well he’s played in the Netherlands and the potential so many believe him to have, it might be a fee worth paying, especially as he could be the next Saliba.
Why Hato could be Saliba 2.0
So, the first thing to point out here is that, over the last season and a bit, Hato has progressed from a centre-back who can play at left-back into someone who is now more of a left-back than anything else.
However, just because he’s no longer playing in the exact same position as Saliba does not mean he couldn’t emulate the Frenchman’s move, career and eventual importance, as there are more than a few similarities between the pair.
The first of which is the hype and expectation around the young Dutchman and the resulting line of teams who are seemingly interested in signing him.
Appearances
111
Starts
102
Minutes
9121′
Goals
4
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
Minutes per Goal Involvement
701.61′
Points per Game
1.86
For example, even though he’s still just 19 years old, the Rotterdam-born gem has not only made 111 senior appearances for Ajax but also captained them on a few occasions.
Such a rapid ascent to senior football only lends credence to respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he has the “potential to be an elite lockdown FB.”
This has, unsurprisingly, led to massive teams like Chelsea and Premier League champions Liverpool being heavily linked with the superb prospect.
This isn’t too dissimilar to the situation in 2019 when, before the Gunners secured the services of Sailba, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were also interested in signing him thanks to a brilliant 18/19 with Saint-Étienne.
Moreover, just as the Frenchman was included in UEFA’s ’50 for the future’ list in July 2019, Ajax’s “exceptional” gem, as dubbed by Mattinson, was named in GOAL’s 2025 NXGN list, which highlights the 50 best teenage talents in the game.
Finally, if this deal werewere to happen, the six-capped international would be joining the North Londoners at 19 years old, just a year younger than the Frenchman when he completed his move in 2019.
Ultimately, while a comparison to someone as talented as Saliba invites an immense amount of pressure, Hato looks like he really could go on to be as good a defender for Arsenal as the world-class centre-back.
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1 ByJack Salveson HolmesJun 24, 2025
